Political Scene: Sex, Politics, and Us

Hendrik Hertzberg, who joins Wickenden on the podcast along with Ariel Levy and Ryan Lizza, says that Weinergate proves a pet theory of his, what he calls the “Clinton Rule.” “That’s the rule that when a politician starts mindlessly babbling a bunch of lies about some sexual subject, that the person he’s really trying to lie to is his wife.”

But don’t politicians lie all the time, Wickenden wonders—isn’t that what they’re trained to do?

“I disagree with that view of politicians,” Hertzberg says. “I think one of the sad things, or one of the unfortunate things about this scandal, and all these scandals, is that they contribute to this hatred, this contempt for politicians, as some lower form of life…”

Lizza doesn’t give Weiner much of a shot at political survival, at least in terms of holding on to his Congressional seat. “The moral outrage at a certain point ends, and the press does allow some of these people to be rehabilitated,” he says, noting the example of Elliot Spitzer. Levy notes that, in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi also seems to be in real trouble, and that Italians may also have had enough of the portrayal of women as “blowup dolls.”

As for whether powerful politicians can get away with things that normal people can’t, Hertzberg thinks the opposite is true. “But Rick,” Wickenden says, “the difference is that these people have chosen to become public figures, who are supposed to present themselves and be role models in many ways to the public.”

“All I’m saying is not really in defense of a behavior,” Hertzberg replies. “I’m disputing the idea that these are these powerful people who think that they have immunity, and that they can get away with things that everybody else can’t get away with. On the contrary, it looks like they can’t get away with things that a whole lot of other people can get away with.”